Home Meal Replacement Use and Eating Habits of Adults in One-Person Households
10.5720/kjcn.2019.24.6.476
- Author:
Mi Kyeong CHOI
1
;
Eun Sun PARK
;
Mi Hyun KIM
Author Information
1. Division of Food Science, Kongju National University, Yesan, Korea, Professor. mhkim1129@kongju.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
one-person households;
multi-family households;
home meal replacement;
eating habits
- MeSH:
Adult;
Diet;
Eating;
Education;
Family Characteristics;
Fast Foods;
Food Habits;
Humans;
Male;
Meals;
Occupations
- From:Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
2019;24(6):476-484
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: The rise of one-person households may have consequences for food consumption patterns, and eating habits. This study investigated the home meal replacement (HMR) use and eating habits among adults in their 20s-30s living in one-person households.METHODS: A total of 247 adults aged 26–39 years participated in this study. The subjects were divided into three group according to the household type; one-person households (n=80), two-person households (n=49), and multi-family (three and more members) households (n=118). Their use of HMRs (classified as ready-to-eat, ready-to-cook, and fresh convenience foods) and their eating habits were all compared.RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 30.5 years, 47.8% were male, and there was no significant difference in age, gender, occupation, and monthly income according to the type of household. The intake frequency of total HMR and ready-to-eat foods was significantly higher in one-person households among the three groups. People in one-person households consumed more HMRs alone, and spent more money to buy HMRs. Undesirable dietary habit scores like unbalanced eating (p<0.05) and eating salty foods (p<0.05) were significantly higher in the one-person households. Among the total subjects, the unbalanced eating scores showed a significant positive correlation with the intake frequency of ready-toeat foods, while the unbalanced eating scores showed negative correlation with the preference of fresh convenience foods. The scores for eating salty foods showed a significant positive correlation with the intake frequency and preference of ready-to-eat foods and ready-to-cook foods, while there was negative correlation with the intake frequency and preference of fresh convenience foods.CONCLUSIONS: Adults in their 20s–30s in one-person households consumed more ready-to-eat foods than those in multi-family households. In addition, people with one-person households had more unbalanced diets and ate more salty foods, and these undesirable eating habits showed a significant positive correlation with the use of ready-to-eat or ready-to-cook foods. These results should be addressed for producing healthier ready-to-eat/ready-to-cook foods and implementing nutrition education for making healthy food choices of one-person households, which are steadily increasing.
